this morning on "early today," no backing down. a florida pastor sticks to his plans to burn the koran despite worldwide condemnation. texas thrashing. the remnants of hermine spawns tornadoes and strands drivers in high waters. and got some moves? a new study on what women like to see in men on the dance floor. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning.

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with burning heat. a problematic pastor in florida is defying the nation's highest ranking authorities saying he will burn copies of the koran on september 11th. with the anniversary of the infamous terror attacks just days away, the church leader plans attacks on what he calls the evil of islam has become a lightning rod topic worldwide. nbc's leanne gregg has more. >> reporter: outrageous, disgraceful, but constitutionally league. those are some descriptions of pastor terry jones' plans to pile up korans, the muslim holy book, and burn them on september 1 1th. despite pleas the small church in gainesville, florida, refuses to call it off. >> we are not convinced that backing down is the right thing. >> reporter: jones says his actions are from a message from god. in jakarta, indonesia,

protesters call it a symbol of hate, asking the u.s. government to step in and for muslims to stay calm. military, political, and religious leaders are among those urging the pastor to cancel the event. >> this act would only call for new hate and violence. >> i am heartened by the clear unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful disgraceful act that has come from american religious leaders of all faiths. >> reporter: jones and the dove world outreach center congregation have received hundreds of death threats, and church members now carrie weapon ons. >> it's a smith & s weson. an isolated protest launching international concerns of widespread ramifications. leanne gregg, nbc news. well, in ohio yesterday president obama turned up the heat on the republican party, continuing his assault on the gop policies that he says put

the economy in a rut in the first place. the president also talked up his own economic plan to prop up the middle class by raising taxes on the wealthy. nbc's steve handelsman has more. >> reporter: in the election year fight over taxes, president oh pa ma needs voters to know whose democrats' taxes he would hike and who they would cut. >> we are ready this week, if they want, to give tax cuts to every american making $250,000 or less. >> reporter: of all the income tax filings last year, 3% were for those making more than $200,000. >> for any income over this amount, the tax rates would just go back to what they were under president clinton. >> reporter: most small businesses pay individual rates. they say a tax hike would cost jobs. the president proposed more help for small business, $200 billion in business tax write-offs, $50 billion in new infrastructure spending.

$100 billion for a research and development tax credit. to make his proposal, the president picked cleveland, home of his top republican critic, house gop leader john boehner. >> well, i don't think the american people want any more stimulus spending coming out of washington. this is not a short-term spending measure. >> reporter: the president went after the republican by name. >> so let me be clear to mr. boehner and everybody else. we should not hold middle-class tax cuts hostage any longer. >> reporter: republican tax cuts for millionaires, said mr. obama, is part of what led to the mess we're in. i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, washington. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in california an armed fugitive wanted in washington engaged police in a dramatic two-hour standoff, forcing the evacuation of nearby buildings. the suicidal man even spoke to authorities on his cell phone throughout the entire ordeal

while sitting in a car. the suspect eventually surrendered after tear fast was fired. he's being held on suspicion of robbery, possession of a firearm, an outstanding warrant, and parole violation. more nasty weather in texas brought on by tropical storm hermine caused a dangerous tornado to develop and touch the ground. the violent spiraling funnel took down power lines, damaged several industrial buildings, even sent a semi slamming into a building. no associated deaths or injuries have been reported. also in texas, video shows the dramatic rescue of a woman who became stranded in her car on a highway surrounded by gushing floodwaters. app rescue crew used a ladder to get to the car, pull the woman through her sun roof and lift her to safety. and in south carolina a nervous dad gave his little girl the surprise of a lifetime. just back from a five-month extended tour in the middle east, the master sergeant waited in the school hallway.

the 8-year-old turned the corner. shocked, she sprung into her dad's arms, crying, but happy to once again be daddy's little girl. ah, sweet moment. and now for a look at your national and regional weather here's your nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. >> he sat on a rock, looked nervous. >> unbelievable moment. >> finally the heat is leaving some of the big cities. yesterday was in the 90s again from new york to philly to d.c. down to raleigh. and now that cold front has moved through and is bringing you some cooler weather. we also saw the pictures that lynn was talking about, all about the remnants of hermine still moving up through oklahoma and heavy rain at this hour up into missouri and portions of little rock, up near shreveport and areas of the north here really getting drenched. as far as what we're going to be dealing with today, a lot of the rains have shifted out of the texas region and they really affected areas of oklahoma last night, tulsa to muskogee and

over to areas where the ozarks begin here in northern arkansas and southern missouri. one flash flood warning left. they got about 2 1/2 inches of rain in tulsa, muskogee. oklahoma city, you're looking just fine. we're going to watch the river levels in texas. i mentioned the cooler air. this morning it's 52 in chicago. there's frost up here in the upper peninsula, one of those areas typically called international falls. very chilly this morning. your forecast today it's going to be beautiful fall-like day through the great lakes and east coast. it still feels like summer in the southeast. that's a look at your thursday forecast. now here's a look at the weather outside your window. should be very nice, as i mentioned, through the ohio valley. we're also going to be a little stormy back through the mountain area. salt lake city, a station air front nearby could give you a chance of showers and thunderstorms. high today, 69 with a chance of storms. we'll take a look at the friday forecast coming up lynn. >> all right, bill. thank you.

well, more jobs open, people are spending less, and why the cost of your morning coffee keeps going up. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, snooki faces the music in court. you're not going to believe what the judge called her. alps, a game-saving catch, and a walk-off in the books. you're watching "early today." she felt lost... until the combination of three good probiotics in phillips' colon health defended against the bad gas, diarrhea and constipation. ...and? it helped balance her colon. oh, now that's the best part. i love your work. [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. i love your work. how are you getting to a happier place? running there?

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good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry, and here are some of your top headlines this morning. a federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a controversial cia program known as extraordinary rendition that flew prisoners overseas for interrogation. the complaint was filed by men shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks who claim they were tortured in captivity. the yesterday's ruling agreed with the obama administration that state's secrets would be put at risk if legal action were

allowed to proceed. in a rare interview with an american journalist, former cuban leader fidel castro admits that the communist economic model that he put in place nearly half a century ago no longer works for cuba. in the same interview with which castro requested, he also criticized iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad for what he called his antisim ittic attitudes and denying the holocaust. new figures showing the people dying on the nation's roads has fallen to a level in six decades thanks to a combination of seat belts, safer cars, and tougher enforcement of drunk driving laws. and a new study has pinpointed which dancing moves are most likely to attract women. listen up, guys. the researchers who created animations showing supposed good and bad moves concluded that the best dancers tended to move their necks and trunks, while the bad only moved their arms

and legs. but if you're asking me, both of them look pretty brutal. well, now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,387 after gaining 46 points yesterday. the s&p rose 7 points and the nasdaq climbed 19. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei added 73 points, while in hong kong the hang seng was up 78. the markets were modestly higher yesterday on wall street where the only thing for sure these days is no one seems to know which way the wind is blowing. that was the latest in the string of low volume sessions suggesting little confidence in what's ahead. positive banking news allowed most banks here to recover from tuesday's losses. today and tomorrow the jewish new year will likely lead to more low volume and the potential for schaj rated swings. the fed's beige book, its

snapshot of the nation's economy, confirmed the recovery has slowed down over the summer. on a brighter side, job openings rose in july after two months of decline, a hint that companies could be stepping up hiring. but consumer borrowing fell again in july with households cutting back on credit card use for a 23rd consecutive month. bp rose more than 3% after the company released its internal report of the gulf oil spill. partners on that rig, transocean and halliburton, both gained over 1%. "the new york times" soared almost 8% in heavy trade on rumors a mexican billionaire may increase his holdings in the newspaper giant. california is seeking fines of just under $10 billion from a unit of health insurer united helmet group alleges pacific care violated state law nearly a million times from 2006 to 2008. coffee hit a 13-year high with a price up 43% in the past

three months. and, finally, a clever german farmer has opened up a milk filling station. over 24 hours a day, seven days a way, customers insert money, put a container under the nozzle and you get fresh milk straight from the cow. poor cows. well, multiple homers, a walk-off homer, and a fan who makes a catch but can't hold on. plus, michael brantley saves the day for the tribe, at least temporarily. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. the big story on this thursday, the heavy rain in the middle of the country. your national forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." my name is vonetta, and i suffer from allergies. [ male announcer ] we asked zyrtec® users what they love about their allergy relief, and what it lets them do. the thing i love most about zyrtec® is that it allows me to be outside. [ male announcer ] we bet you'll love zyrtec®, too -- or it's free. [ vonetta ] it is countdown to marshmallow time. [ woman laughs ] close. whadaya think?ntdown to marshmallow time. i gowhat insurance is that yogi?

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good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, yesterday the yankees were facing a sweep at the hands of the lowly orioles, but as yogi berra once said it ain't over till it's over. here's nbc's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. hi, there, good morning. the yankees have the best record in baseball, so there's no way the orioles could sweep them at home. thanks to nick swisher the bronx bombers were able to take over the series in dramatic fashion. to the big apple, yanks, 2-1 in the ninth. a two-run walk-off homer for the swisher king.

they avoid a sweep with a 3-2 win. the rays dropped 2 1/2 games in the east with a loss to the red sox. scutaro hits not one but two homers into the monster seats. red sox hit five homers in all. they beat the rays, 11-5. out west they need extra innings. if it's out, game over. but michael brantley is not having it. leaping catch to rob a walk-off homer, it doesn't get any better than that. from exciting to routine, it doesn't get any better than that. torii hunter. angels win, 23-16. to denver, troy tulowitzki riding a rocky mountain high. hits a towering home run to give colorado a 5-1 lead against the reds. fifth inning, and this is not a replay. tulo with another bomb. finally a funny moment. coco crisp with a home run to left. check out a fan as he tries to make a catch and goes head over heels. he drops the ball.

he gets up, reaches in to get it, finally has it in his hands, but look closely. as he reaches for the ball he dr drops it again and it falls back beyond the fence. this guy can't get a break. at least he didn't break his neck. they won this one, 4-3. that's your look at sports on "early today." i'm mario solis. >> poor guy. a female pop star faces female sexual harassment. your early morning entertainment plus the first lady takes her health care campaign down the louisiana way. people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis.

serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults, heart failure, nervous system disorders, liver or blood problems, and allergic reactions. before starting simponi™, your doctor should test you for tb and assess your risk of infections, including fungal infections and hepatitis b. ask your doctor if you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, or develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start simponi™ if you have an infection. [ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. just one dose, once a month. ♪ [ female announcer ] the best way to tell how great you look is in your jeans. drop a jean size in two weeks with the special k challenge and enjoy a good source of fiber in many of your favorite special k products. ♪

jeans don't lie. go to specialk.com to design your plan. what if something bad happens? so what happens if someone gets my credit or debit card and buys a ton of stuff? that would be... really, really bad. [ male announcer ] with bank of america's zero liability guarantee, you're not responsible for any fraudulent charges on your card. guaranteed. bank of america says they'll credit any fraudulent charges back to my account as soon as the next day. the next day! that makes me feel better about using these cards. they've got my back. they've got my back. [ male announcer ] the opportunity to worry less about fraud with the zero liability guarantee from bank of america. when pain keeps you up, nothing is proven to help you fall asleep faster than advil pm liqui-gels. rushing real liquid relief to ease you to sleep fast.

for nighttime pain, make advil pm your #1 choice. thursday. the country is split. if you're south of that in the southeast it's going to feel like summer but the cool air minneapolis to chicago, great lakes shifting over to the east, today and tomorrow very cool with the highs only to northeasterly 70 from new york to boston and the great lakes are going to be very chilly. the wet spot, if we're going to see any flooding over the next couple of days watch out in arkansas, missouri and in kentucky. if you're watching us on wt hhrn indianapolis, indiana, celebrate fall the german way with good food and live entertainment for the whole family at oktoberfest in german park. that's your "early today" event of the day, lynn.

of course, if it's oktoberfest, i think we forgot one ingredient like the hops and the barley. >> it's family-friendly. a little something for even. well, now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. the britney spears body guard who has been threatening sexual harassment lawsuit has finally filed papers. he alleges spears meat unwanted sexual advances and repeatedly exposed herself in front of him. she mistreated the children in front of him once asking for his belt so she could, quote, savagely beat the youngest. pop eater reports expecting the worst palin has banned johnston from the set. a family friend told the website, quote, the only person that loves the press more than the palins is levi himself. "jersey shores" snooki pleaded guilty yesterday to

annoying others in a drunken incident. she was sentenced to 30 days and a fine, and the worst part is the judge scolded her, calling her a, quote, lindsay lohan wannabe. lindsay lohan's mom immediately expressed disappointment to tmz that, quote, the judge would say that in a court of law. well, this comes to us from slidell, louisiana, where the first lady taught a lesson in healthy habits and showed off her moves with the pig skin as well. michelle obama and nfl commissioner roger goodell displayed footwork in nfl-style drills with a group of very lucky kids. it's all part of the first lady's campaign to encouragive and a healthy lifestyle. well, i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. [ female announcer ] fall in love with color... ...all over again.

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>> gong, everyone. i'm tony pann. you'll notice the change in the air if you step out this morning. yesterday we were in the 90's. this morning we've dropped back into the 50's in most spots. 06 in cockeysville. today a mixture of sunshine and few clouds. breezy an cooler than yesterday with highs in the upper 70's.

>> tony, see you in a bit. 4:57, 62 degrees on tv hill. >> firefighters battle two four-alarm fires and today investigators search for a cause. i'm jennifer franciotti. details, next. >> i'm kate amara in washington. a florida's church's rerefusal to stepdown has a stepup to keep americans safe. >> and right now off to a good >> and right now off to a good start.

>> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thank you for joining us for 11 news today. >> meteorologist tony pann has your forecast. when you walk out, you're going to feel a little chill. >> we made it into the 90's again yesterday.